


Jimmy Kent's Last Request

by downtonisthedeathofme



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Series 5, series 5 christmas special
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 07:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/downtonisthedeathofme/pseuds/downtonisthedeathofme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving Andy's money at The Velvet Violin Thomas goes off in search of the owner, only to be distracted by a very familiar face at the piano. It takes Jimmy's blunt words to make Thomas realise he finally has a chance to be properly happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jimmy Kent's Last Request

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very grateful to the tumblr user fuckyeah-thommy.tumblr.com where i found a gifset with the exact dialogue from the Christmas special.  
> http://fuckyeah-thommy.tumblr.com/post/102293056941/thomas-barrow-5x08-mrs-patmore-shes-using
> 
> I wanted to write something super romantic - comments, as always, will be greatly appreciated. :)

“Does that always happen?” Andy asked in disbelief.

“Not always, no.” Thomas replied casually, handing over a large stack of chips “Right, cash them in and pay your bill.”

Thomas stood up quickly, wanting to get out before anyone around the table started to question his rather unbelievable luck, “I couldn’t let you do that” Andy said following a few paces behind the older man.

“Why not?” Thomas said over his shoulder, turning around to say ominously “You want to get out of here alive don’t you?”

“I’d have to pay you back.” Andy stuttered.

“We’ll argue about that later. Off you go whilst I see to Mr Shute.” Thomas replied, with a bob of his head towards the door.

“What do you mean?” 

“Go.” Thomas said more forcefully. 

That had been Thomas’s plan – go see Mr Shute, the owner of this dive-bar, get Denker in a heap of trouble with the wrong kind of people therefore ensuring that she wouldn’t try and pull the same trick again any time soon, but as he scanned the bar searching out Mr. Shute his eyes travelled to the corner of the room. The darkest corner of the room where cigarette smoke seemed to linger in the air, like a slivery mirage, an upright piano was half-hidden in shadow. Walking into the bar an hour or so ago Thomas had barely registered the music that bled into people’s conversations, unnoticed by most, but now he did. The pianist, hidden along with his instrument in the shadows, was completely unmistakable, his golden hair shining even under the dim smoky lights of the room. 

Thomas walked over, pushing through the crowds in a daze, the fog of smoke in front of his eyes making his vision hazy. With every step he took closer to the piano his vision slowly cleared. “Jimmy.” He whispered, not sure if he wanted to be heard quite yet, but Jimmy turned nevertheless, startled. No one noticed the music had stopped. 

“Thomas.” Jimmy stood up from his piano-stool – which was actual just a barstool which had half-sawn off legs, “I’m sorry, I never wrote, I… never…” Jimmy stammered, looking at his feet. 

“It’s alright, I didn’t expect anything from you.” Thomas smiled, "i never expected anything at all" this was enough, he thought to himself, this was all he wanted, just to know Jimmy was safe.

“You should have done though, you should have expected something from me. I shouldn’t have let you down.” Jimmy replied, “You did all those things for me, and I just let you down.” 

“You didn’t…”

“How did you find me here?” Jimmy cut him off, “I thought none of you would ever see me again, just sat here playing a piano that no one actually listens to.”

“I didn’t come searching for you.” Thomas smiled as Jimmy lifted his head again. Jimmy’s face hadn’t changed at all, still just as handsome, but slightly paler as if he was fading away slightly. “I was just here helping out a friend, needed to win his money back.” Thomas said awkwardly running his hand across his hair and nodding slightly towards the door where Andy stood, nervously waiting for Thomas to return.

“He looks like you.” Jimmy said with a half-smile.

“What?”

“I don’t mean he actually looks like you, he’s 20 years younger than you for a start…” Jimmy laughed slightly 

"I'm not that old" Thomas said defensively.

"Alright then 10 years younger than you" Jimmy smiled “But that's not what i meant. He looks like you, like the way you used to look at me.”

“He’s just friendly, he’s nice to me that’s all...” Thomas had thought about it briefly, but he’d locked that spark he felt for Andy away as soon as it had kindled, he didn’t want to be disappointed again. “I don’t know what you mean…”

“Of course you know what I mean, you’ve left him on his own for a couple of minutes, and he already looks like he’s going to be sick with worry.” Jimmy smiled.

“I…” Thomas turned to look at Andy, he didn’t know how he could have been so blind, maybe he was getting too old for all this, maybe all that time he spent misreading Jimmy’s signals had put his eye out. Andy smiled, catching Thomas looking at his across the room. 

“Anyway, Mr. Barrow, I think I need to get back to work...” Jimmy said with a surprisingly professional tone, breaking Thomas’s contemplative trance. 

“How did you end up here anyway?” Thomas replied, “Carson gave you a good reference, didn’t he?” He tried to focus on Jimmy but it was as if everyone in the room had suddenly exhaled their smoke at once, the air was hazy he could barely see the man in front of him, despite them being inches apart.

“Everyone kept asking why I would leave as good a place as Downton without a solid position to go to, I couldn’t tell them of course, so I ended up here.” He stepped close to Thomas, closing the gap between them “I’m alright though, don’t worry about me.” Jimmy smiled, not one of his winning false smiles, a genuine smile that reached his eyes “You were always so willing to do things for me, Thomas, so do this: don’t think about me. Just don’t think about me again, make it the last thing I ever request you do for me.” 

“I couldn’t do that.” Thomas stuttered.

“You have to.” Jimmy replied calmly, “You could be happy if you just don’t think about me again.” Jimmy nodded his head towards Andy, who stood nervously rocking back on his heels. “You know how it feels, not to get what you want. The world is dark enough already,” he sat down at his piano, his face cast into shadow “make a little corner of the world a bit brighter.”

Thomas was couldn’t reply, as Jimmy started up his futile tune again. Thomas had spent his whole life thinking he’d never be happy, not really, because no one would ever love him like he loved them. He’d spent his whole life in a haze, and it took Jimmy Kent to make him realise someone loved him back.


End file.
